108 ADIRONDAC. 



the night had also deepened and intensified. 

 Night was at its meridian. The sky had 

 that soft luminousness which may often be 

 observed near midnight at this season, and 

 the " large few stars " beamed mildly down. 

 We floated out into that spectral shadow- 

 land and moved slowly on as before. The 

 silence was most impressive. Now and then 

 the faint yeap of some travelling bird would 

 come from the air overhead, or the wings of 

 a bat whisp quickly by, or an owl hoot off 

 in the mountains, giving to the silence and 

 loneliness a tongue. At short intervals some 

 noise in-shore would startle me, and cause 

 me to turn inquiringly to the silent figure in 

 the stern. 



The end of the lake was reached, and we 

 turned back. The novelty and the excite- 

 ment began to flag ; tired nature began 

 to assert her claims ; the movement was 

 soothing, and the gunner slumbered fitfully at 

 his post. Presently something aroused me. 

 " There 's a deer," whispered the guide. The 

 gun heard, and fairly jumped in my hand. 

 Listening, there came the cracking of a limb, 

 followed by a sound as of something walking 

 in shallow water. It proceeded from the 

 other end of the lake, over against our camp. 



